Recent trends in net oil import dependence vary by region (12/16/2015)

Net imports accounted for 26.5% of total petroleum and other liquid fuels consumed in the United States in 2014, the lowest percentage since 1971. Data through the first nine months of 2015 indicate a further reduction of net imports, averaging 24.6% of total consumption of petroleum and other liquid fuels. Increased U.S. crude oil production has replaced some crude oil imports, while increased refinery runs and global demand growth for petroleum products resulted in increased U.S. petroleum product exports. As a result, the United States remains a net importer of crude oil but less so, and is increasingly a net exporter of petroleum products. However, the extent to which regions of the country contribute to these changing trends varies. ... More »